New scoreboard, fan area among upgrades to stadium

3 A major investment by the city and Jaguars will put a swimming pool in the stadium... We will also see other improvements - including a major scoreboard. - the biggest and best in the N-F-L. Is it worth it? Channel 4's Scott Johnson was on hand when Jaguar owner Shad Khan... made the announcement alongside city leaders. 3 00-0530-3537-41 55-1:051:10- 1:131:14-1:231:45-1:561:59 these are artist's renderings of the new scoreboard that shad khan... mayor alvin brown and other city leaders announced is on its way to everbank by the 2014 season. MAYOR ALVIN BROWN 8:56:25 - today is just the latest evidence of shad's long term commitment to jacksonville.in fact they called this the biggest and best scoreboard in the league... even bigger than the current title holder at the dallas cowboys's stadium. SHAD KHAN/JAGUARS OWNER 9:06:10 - 'shad, among the nfl owners, does this make you wanna' say to jerry jones mine's bigger than yours?' I think jerry is a great nfl owner, inspiration. He started raising the bar and in nfl if you're standing still you're falling behind.some fans think it's cool... while others just call it a waste of money. ANDREW FLETCHER/JAGUAR FAN 9:15:46 - I couldn't see how it would hurt.That's definitely impressive.DREW SCHMITT/JAGUAR FAN 9:19:10 - it's kind of a joke really because concentrate on football game itself.And now how it's being watched. People need to get out there and spport the team... not focus on how it's being watched.the upgrades are being paid for mainly with taxes from tourists at hotels and things bought at the stadium ... not with fund from property taxes. And gator bowl association president rick catlett says uprgades like these aren't just for the jags... he says it could feasibly attract the college football national title game to jacksonville in years to come.RICK CATLETT /GATOR BOWL ASSOCIATION 9:10:45 - 'I heard you say national championship game. Was that a slip of the tongue?' it certainly was not, they're talking about taking the game over the next 12 years to 12 different cities. They selected dallas. I wonder why they selected dallas? Maybe that new stadium over there and all the premium revenue it's generated.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

The Jacksonville Jaguars and city officials announced Wednesday an agreement to fund giant new scoreboards and other improvements to EverBank Field to be ready before the 2014 football season.

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Based on information released when the scoreboards were first proposed, the new video displays in each end zone would measure 55 feet high and 301 feet wide.

"That's right, the biggest and best scoreboards in the world will be at EverBank Field here in Jacksonville, Fla.," Jaguars President Mark Lamping said at a late afternoon news conference.

The improvements will also include a fan area in the north end zone that will require removal of 7,000 seats. There will also be two new sideline boards, displays over each tunnel and a new scoreboard control room.

Exact details of the funding were not released Wednesday, but the Jaguars said it would kick in $20 million, adding that 100 percent of any cost overruns would be paid by the team.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan publicly thanked the city for "sharing our vision and making this happen."

"Today we're making a statement to the NFL, to the nation and to the world that Jacksonville is world class," Khan said, adding it will help the city attract major college football, international soccer and other major sports and entertainment events.

"When you see these plans come to life next fall, it will be impossible to stay home to watch the Jaguars," Khan said.

Rick Catlett, president of the Gator Bowl Association, said the stadium improvements will also help the city keep the Florida-George game contract and potentially attract a college football national championship game to Jacksonville.

"This is an investment in Jacksonville's future as a leading destination for major events, not just regionally, but globally," Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown said.

The city of Jacksonville spent millions in 2005 to upgrade the current video scoreboards to a high-definition display. The city's portion of the funding is subject to City Council approval.

Catlett said the focus should not be on what this project will cost, but on the tens of millions of dollars the city would lose if it lost some of the national, high-profile events currently held in Jacksonville.

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